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Stephen Hawking’s doctoral thesis. Year: 1966. 

[openscienceaccess]

Is Pop-Sci/ Science News Even Accurate?

It would be totally unfair and wrong to say that science news writing cannot be trusted, or that all science news writers are inherently false and/or uneducated.

However, I would like to point out that after talking to experienced science writers with an actual scientific background, it is crucial to always question science news and investigate the background and training of who wrote it. 

Some science news writers do not have a background in science. Some majored in English or Journalism. Others have a brief background in science but still produced flawed information and misinterpretations of higher-level work. 

Even National Geographic has had mistakes.

Science news is great for keeping track of new publications and projects. However, the original source should also be read. Is the science news writer interpreting the information accurately, or misrepresenting it? The education of the writer can help exemplify whether or not the writer is on point or off. 

Always remember to remain skeptical. 

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Want to Read Science Publications? Here’s an Option for College Students

It’s unfortunate that science publications are costly to rent and buy. It is even more unfortunate that there is only a temporary solution for those enrolled in an institution of higher education and not simply everyone. While I believe that subscriptions and deals should be offered at much better prices (or free) in order to increase access to the latest research, readers can be rest assured that there is still a way to get those much needed publications.

Sign up on ResearchGate. It is surprising how much information is on there, as well as how often authors allow access to their work. It opens the door for conversation as well, as authors may sometimes request reviews and opinions of their work. 

Even if a request is not approved, slightly older (but not ancient) articles on the same and similar topic are probably available. 

Consider saving and keeping up on the latest research by using this free service.

Totally worth it. 

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Thymine vs. Uracil

We all know from high school bio that thymine takes the place of uracil in DNA. But why exactly does this occur? What advantage does thymine offer over uracil?

When I asked a teacher about this, she replied: Thymine is a more stable molecule than uracil, and thus helps maintain the integrity of DNA. 

However, the only difference between these two bases is a single methyl group:

So how exactly does that small change stabilize DNA?

For one, it prevents DNA from being recognized and chopped up by nucleases - the methyl group thus helps to protect DNA against invaders. The hydrophobic effect of the methyl group also helps to ensure proper base pairing (uracil can occasionally pair with other bases). Thymine’s methyl group also provides a point of interaction for amino acids in proteins (possibly resulting in better recognition by polymerases, transcription factors, etc).

Perhaps the strongest impetus, though, for the incorporation of thymine into DNA comes from the spontaneous deamination of cytosine. This undesirable chemical reaction results in a uracil base, and occurs, on average, 100 times per day in a mammalian cell.

The buildup of these “illegitimate” uracils could be catastrophic for the organism - at the very least, copying fidelity of DNA would be detrimentally affected. Thus, cells have repair systems in place to remove these “illegitimate” uracils. But if uracil were already present in DNA, paired to adenine, the repair system would be forced to somehow differentiate between “illegitimate” and “legitimate” uracils. An easy solution to this problem? Add a methyl group to all of the “legitimate” uracils, allowing the repair system to easily tell between the two. This usage of methylated uracil, or thymine, in DNA allowed for the long-term storage of crucial genetic information. 

Sources / Further reading:

Uracil vs. Thymine - Molecular Station forum

Why does uracil replace thymine in RNA? - MadSci

Ivarie, R. Thymine methyls and DNA-protein interactions.

Lehninger - Principles of Biochemistry, Third Edition (2000)

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Are We Patting Ourselves on the Back Too Much?

When it comes to spouting out science facts, or reciting our love for science, we should also keep in mind the tendency of new atheists and sometimes scientists to brand themselves as superior or overly intelligent. The truth is, intelligence speaks for itself. Constantly reciting how intelligent you are, or even using facts as daggers, downplays what you're trying to accomplish. Science is an attempt at searching for truth, but most scientists acknowledge limitations and also our constant search in the dark. Theories have strong evidence behind them, and that's perfectly fine to state. The key to turning people onto science, and how scientists think about the world around them, is to open people's minds.

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By denying the evidence for climate change, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children.

Stephen Hawking, in an interview with the BBC regarding climate change (via npr)

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On this date in history: SOS was adopted as the International Distress Signal on July 1, 1908.⠀ ⠀ A few years prior, the 2nd International Radiotelegraphic Convention had chosen the Morse code distress signal — three dots, three dashes and three more dots (· · · – – – · · ·) — as the standard international maritime distress signal.⠀ ⠀ While the term SOS is believed by many to stand for “save our ship” (or “save our souls”), that’s not actually the case. It was really chosen simply because the way the distress signal is sent when using Morse code was hard to confuse with anything else.⠀ ⠀ Unfortunately, if you’re stranded, you most likely won’t have a two-way radio, but if you do, it’s probably equipped with a means to send signal beeps. If so, use the Morse code version to try and send out a rescue SOS. If you’re stuck without a radio, find a large open space and do it the old fashioned way, by spelling it out with tree branches or rocks. The good thing about this kind of rescue signal is that it doesn’t need to be managed. Once you have it built, you can walk away and concentrate on that signal fire.⠀ ⠀ Even though it was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System in 1999, SOS is still universally seen as a distress call today. https://www.instagram.com/p/BWBYxBjFSiS/

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Opening Statement: Meet The Author

Hi Tumblr users! I created this account to start an open-access page to science information. My blog will have several purposes. 1.) Obviously, to allow easier access to publications, news, etc. 2.) To write about science news. 3.) To open discussion on all subjects not limited to science. My primary goal is to make science more accessible to everyone and to hopefully illustrate what it's all about! Suggestions welcome, as always.